AN INSIDE LOOK - Commentary and opinions on local politics and life in general in Southeastern Massachusetts! Featuring the writings of Bill Gouveia, newspaper columnist for the Sun Chronicle and local cable TV talk show host. Feel free to read, comment and enjoy!

Monday, December 22, 2014

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Monday, December22, 2014

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

Almost
everyone has their own special Christmas traditions. Should you decide to read further, you will
discover one of mine. Proceed at your
own risk.

Nearly every Christmas I share with
you good readers my latest rendition of perhaps the most famous holiday poem
ever. Of course, I adapt it to reflect
the love and emotion we all hold for our various local officials – and that
would include me.

It is my way of thanking the dedicated and devoted public
servants who give of their time and energy to make our local governments
work. Or at least, that’s what I tell
everyone. The truth is they keep me
stocked with column material, and it’s just a lot of fun.

So with apologies again to the late Clement Moore, I do
hereby submit for your reading pain or pleasure my version of “T’was The Night
Before Christmas”…

T’was the night
before Christmas, and town halls were still,

The leaders were
home now, and full of good will.

Attleboro city
councilors put their differences aside

And all headed out
on a nice school bus ride.

The taxpayers were
settled all snug in their beds,

While nightmares of
overrides danced in their heads.

Your favorite local
columnist was working away,

Preparing a
masterpiece to be read Christmas Day.

Then from just
outside there came a loud boom

That shook all the
TV’s I had in the room.

I ran to the front
door and opened it wide,

And gazed in
amazement at what was outside.

The moonlight was
reflecting, making all things aglow,

As expensive salt
was poured on the streets down below.

When suddenly, slicing
through the night so grey,

Were five people
riding in a football shaped sleigh.

They were arguing
and voting, and splitting 3-2.

They were Foxboro
selectmen (it’s just what they do).

They had presents
for officials, such good little elves.

They were ticked
there was nothing in the sleigh for themselves.

To
North Attleboro selectmen, they delivered some notes

That
Santa was running out of those override votes.

They also left
selectmen a few lumps of coal,

And said a split
tax rate should be their new goal.

Over Plainville
they almost fell out of the sleigh

When they saw that
new slot parlor where people will play.

Plainville’s gift
was new revenue to keep taxes low,

Which Foxboro could
have had, but selectmen said No.

For Norton
officials, they had quite a gift -

A new solar farm
that has caused a big rift.

For Wrentham
citizens, that gift was much harder

Now that they have
a new bright shiny charter.

For Mansfield
selectmen, they swooped down like a vulture

And pulled any
signs that were not of our culture.

For those who love
going out and getting drunk quicker,

They brought 11 new
licenses for folks to serve liquor.

Rep. Barrows got a
gift that just made his day -

A woman called to
discuss getting fair equal pay.

Rep. Poirier no
longer has that quite angry frown,

Because they made
sure no visiting reps come to her town.

For Bishop Feehan
High, they brought something neat –

They get their own
driveway, complete with a street.

Area food shoppers
will get bargains galore

As they finally
open that Market Basket store.

They swung through
Rehoboth to hand out Christmas greetings,

And warn school
officials about stacking Town Meetings.

They found Seekonk
selectmen all wearing a grin

As they sat on their
bar stools, just being sworn in.

They saw me, and
their look was not one of elation -

They looked like
they’d seen an OML violation.

In executive
session, they then took a vote

To totally ignore
anything I ever wrote.

They finished their
business and emptied their sleigh,

Waved (not with all
fingers) and then dashed away.

They rode off
repeating their now familiar refrain:

“There’s no way
we’re letting Bob Kraft have that train!”

Merry Christmas and Happy
Holidays to everyone.

Bill Gouveia is a
local columnist, town official, husband, parent, grandfather, and terrible
poet. He wishes you all a Merry
Christmas and Happy Holidays, and can be reached at aninsidelook@aol.com
and tweeted at @billinsidelook.

Friday, December 19, 2014

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on December 19, 2014.

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

Every
once in a while an event occurs that shakes you to the core, makes you question
what you know, and threatens the life you have built.This past weekend was one of those times, and
it could possibly mean the end of an era.

Our
period of innocence may be over.Despite
my best efforts to shield my family from the cold and cruel world, cynicism
continues that steady and deadly march as it tries to eventually overtake us
all.

Just
this weekend, my six-year-old grandson Will (did I mention his name is
William?) informed both me and his parents that he no longer believes in what
is undoubtedly one of the greatest Christmas traditions of all time.He’s so young to lose this now.

That’s
right folks – Will no longer believes in the existence of the Santa Alarm.

For
those of you unfamiliar with this great piece of American folk lore, it is
something that (as far as I know) I made up.Or at least I’m taking credit for it until someone
sues me.

The
Santa Alarm is an extremely complicated device visible to only fathers and
grandfathers (and perhaps great-grandfathers) who have children spending the
night in their homes on Christmas Eve.I
could tell you exactly how it works, but then I’d have to…well, you know.

I first
used it when my two boys were very small.They were so excited about getting up on Christmas morning to open
presents that they could not sleep.

I heard
them plotting together upstairs in that conspiratorial whisper kids have when
discussing the possible overthrow of parental authority.I realized they could sneak down the steps
when my wife and I were getting our scant few hours sleep. As a former
Christmas Ninja myself, I knew the drill.

I
had already threatened them with dire consequences should they try and sneak a
peek under the tree before receiving the “all clear” signal from us in the
morning.However, I could see in their
eyes the belief they could pull one over on the Old Man.I knew this was going to take more than just
the usual warnings.

So
I called them together and explained how things were now out of my hands.Santa had installed the Santa Alarm and
appointed me as guardian and operator.This is how it works:

There
is a super special and invisible beam of light about halfway down our
stairway.When set it immediately trips
if anyone under the age of 18 comes down the stairs.It cannot be avoided, or stepped around, or
beaten.When triggered, an alarm would
go directly to the North Pole.

Local
elves (on standby for just such a situation) would then immediately activate
the Present Puller.This would transfer
all presents within seconds to a secure location, where they would be picked up
and distributed to needy – and less sneaky – children.By the time their feet hit the living room
floor, it would be all over.

They
wanted proof.I told them there was a
secret switch located in a special spot on the wall going downstairs and only
my hand could set it.I made them hide
their eyes while I turned it on (they tried hard to look).Afterwards I watched them search those walls
for hours, but they never did locate it.

It
worked.Fear is a great motivator.Christmas morning they rushed into our room,
pleading to go downstairs.They eyed the
steps like they were lined with thermonuclear devices, and looked away while I
shut off the alarm.

And to my
delight, my oldest has continued the use of the Santa Alarm at his home.To this point, it has been equally effective
with my oldest grandson.

But now he
is in school.He has heard stories of
other kids successfully sneaking.He
thinks this is a ruse.

But he
can’t be 100% sure.I have shown him an
actual alarm panel in my home, yet he remains skeptical.This kid is a tough sell.

My own boys
still tell stories of the Santa Alarm at holiday gatherings.I’m hoping Will can be convinced for at least
another year or two.There are other
grandchildren involved here.

And just
how am I going to explain all this to Santa?

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist,
father and grandfather.He can be
emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at
@Billinsidelook.

Monday, December 8, 2014

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Monday, December 8, 2014.

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

In
most places, having a commuter rail station in or around your community is
considered a good thing.

Many
people buy homes to be near train service.
Being located nearby tends to increase property values. It is what helped open up the suburbs for
those working in Boston and Providence decades ago. It saves people time and money, and allows
them flexibility in this auto-oriented age.

Folks
in New Bedford and Fall River have been fighting for commuter rail access for
more than 30 years now. Every candidate
who has ever campaigned there for any state-related office has promised to help
make it happen. Yet it is no closer to
political reality today than it was a quarter-century ago.

Now
it seems Foxboro could possibly become the home of a new commuter rail station
located at Gillette Stadium/Patriot Place.
Initial reports indicate there would be no cost to the town for this, no
increased MBTA assessment, and limited disruption of neighborhoods since it
would run on existing freight rail tracks.
Sounds like good news, right?

But
it has become a lightning rod for controversy for several reasons – chief among
them the involvement of the Kraft Group and the possibility they might make a
buck or two in the process.

In
all fairness, there is a long way to go before anyone can really determine if a
commuter station at this location will be a good thing for Foxboro. The route of the trains, improvements to the
rail, protection for residential neighbors, the cost to the state to convert
the tracks – all these things have to be carefully considered first. And it is early in the process.

Not
helping things is the fact the state and the KG having been negotiating on this
for nearly a year without letting Foxboro officials in on the plans. Selectmen were understandably perturbed when
they discovered those two parties had signed a letter of intent involving the
creation of a Gillette Stadium station back in January.

That’s
just wrong. When you are a major
taxpayer and economic force in town it is important to work with town
officials, seek their help and guidance, and establish a spirit of cooperation
that helps you both achieve your goals and objectives. You can’t blame Foxboro selectmen for feeling
left out and ignored.

Of
course, given the track record between the selectmen and the local NFL
franchise, it’s also hard to blame the KG for keeping their cards close to
their vest. They got burned on their
last major project, and it can be argued the disrespect shown to them was far
greater than what has been done so far in this situation.

For
those who have forgotten, Robert Kraft and Steve Wynn got together to propose a
resort casino for Foxboro. They went to
selectmen first and asked for the chance to present their plans in detail to
the entire town. They followed the
proper procedures and did everything as required.

But
after initially agreeing to at least hear them out, selectmen did an about face
and slammed the door on the casino plan before it was ever formulated. Selectmen refused to let Kraft even talk to
them about it.

The board
would not give the town’s largest single private source of revenue the respect
of allowing a presentation. That
devolved into the most contentious town election in recent memory, complete
with the then-town manager publicly insulting the KG every chance he got.

Do
you think maybe Robert Kraft and his people remembered that? Could it be perhaps they were afraid town
officials would once again sink them before they even got started? Was it really in their best interests to be
completely upfront? Probably not.

This
is a prime example of why it is important – for both sides – to maintain a
civil relationship. There should not be
surprises like this. And there probably
would not be, except neither side trusts or respects the other very much.

Foxboro
officials should stop counting Robert Kraft’s money and try and reestablish a
cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship. Kraft should put aside his distrust and
disdain and recognize he needs these local politicians.

Maybe
if they do that, they could all take a ride on the choo-choo together.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and
can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at
@Billinsidelook.

Friday, December 5, 2014

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Friday, December 5, 2014

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

The
town of Ferguson, MO isn’t just located in America – it is America.It is a typical example of what is going on
in this country with regard to race, life, policing, the legal system, the
frustration of citizens, and the delicate and subjective concepts of fairness
and decency.

I
can’t do justice to the many complex and complicated issues going on
there.I can’t properly analyze the many
forces at work, both good and bad.

I’m neither
qualified nor equipped to properly and completely assess the impact of events
which have crippled a town, made us question our values and systems, and
created a public dialogue that is either helping the situation or destroying
the country, depending on your personal perspective.

So
all I am left with is my own point of view – that of a relatively privileged
white person in a liberal state who has never had to personally endure much
when it comes to discrimination.I have
never had to fear for my life as I walk down the street at night because I
might look out of place.I have never
had to be a law enforcement officer and risk my life every time I answer even a
relatively simple call.

I
have not been a part of a community where the police are viewed as the enemy,
where their very presence is a threat whether or not there is any wrongdoing.I have not had the experience of working
within the public safety sphere or the court system, where there is constant
exposure to people who commit crimes and pose a real threat.

But
there are some things I know.I can’t
explain to the satisfaction of all just how I know them, or why I am convinced
of their validity.But I am – and for
the purpose of this discussion, that is what is important.

I
know racism is something deeply ingrained into our way of life.I know it permeates many of our institutions
in ways both obvious and subtle.I know
it unfairly affects those who are both victims of it and collateral damage of
attempts to end or correct it.

I
know the bombing and burning in Ferguson is wrong.I also know it is a symptom, not a
disease.It can’t be tolerated, it must
be stopped.But to concentrate on that,
to make these destructive acts the focus of what is happening there, is a
mistake of serious proportions.

I
know there is a large African-American population in Ferguson.I know a large percentage of criminal
activity there is committed by people of color, in large part as a result of
that percentage.But I also know that
should not and cannot be reason for police officers to profile black people in
general as more likely to be criminals.

I
know the grand jury process is the way the law works in Ferguson and other
places.I know that system is often
nothing more than a tool for the local prosecutor, who controls what the grand
jury gets.I understand that if the
prosecutor wants an indictment, he/she will get an indictment.And if he/she doesn’t – they won’t.

I
know white police officers in Ferguson and elsewhere are not racists simply by
virtue of their profession.I know their
job sometimes casts them in an unfair light.But I also know they are trained in a system that often seems to excuse
racism in the name of safety.I know
neither safety nor freedom should be determined by your race.

I
know there are criminals looting and burning in Ferguson, and they should be
jailed.But I know they are not
indicative of the majority of those standing up against injustice and inequality,
going far beyond what occurred between a Ferguson teen
and a police officer.

What
I don’t know is how to attack the real problem of racism in all its forms, not
just the most obvious and visible ones.I don’t know how to fix it, to make it fair, to make it right.

So
for now I will try to be a part of the discussion, to keep a dialogue
going.I don’t know if that will work.

But
I know remaining silent won’t.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and
longtime local official.He can be
emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at
@Billinsidelook.

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About Me

Bill Gouveia
Bill has been a newspaper columnist for the Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, MA for more than a decade, as well as former host of his own local cable talk show "An Inside Look" in his hometown of Norton, MA. Bill previously wrote columns for the Norton Mirror, Mansfield News and Easton Journal for about ten years, and Norton Patch as well, and is a former selectman in Norton. He is currently the elected Norton Town Moderator. His real-time job is as Vice President of Atlantic Stainless Co., Inc - a stainless steel distributorship in North Attleboro, MA. He and his wife Cynthia have been married for 40 years and have two sons, Aaron and Nathan. He is also the proud grandfather of William Gouveia, Avery Gouveia, Samuel Gouveia, Addison Gouveia and Thomas Gouveia.